The Virginia wrestling team started its season on the road and finished it on the road as well. Their first road matchup was against Long Island University, a team they briskly defeated. But this time, facing No. 15 Pitt, the Cavaliers (9-8, 1-5 ACC) suffered a demoralizing loss to cap off a 1-4 conference finish.
The Panthers (11-4, 3-3 ACC) entered their senior night with an undefeated all-time record against the Cavaliers at Fitzgerald Field House. Pitt also brought eight ranked wrestlers out of 10 total starters, while Virginia had only three. This mismatch and the historic dominance made it clear that Virginia would need to mitigate mistakes to stand a chance. Unfortunately, that would not be the case. A series of strategic errors and missteps led to a 37-0 shutout loss.
“To say we are disappointed with the way we ended the regular season is an understatement,” Coach Steve Garland said. "[That] performance is absolutely unacceptable, and obviously it starts with me.”
The dual got underway at 184 lbs, where senior Griffin Gammell faced off against the first of Pitt's ranked wrestlers, No. 27 junior Chase Kranitz. Kranitz set the tone early for the Panthers, winning by major decision to give Pitt an early 4-0 lead. Pitt's highest-ranked wrestler, No. 9 senior Mac Stout —wrestling at 197 lbs — faced junior Steven Burrell Jr., who managed to score two points but was otherwise shut down. Burrell Jr. lost by major decision 13-2 to extend Pitt's lead to 8-0. Another loss by decision followed at heavyweight, where redshirt freshman Brenan Morgan fell to No. 15 senior Dayton Pitzer.
With Pitt leading 11-0, senior Keyveon Roller offered a glimmer of hope against redshirt freshman Tyler Chappell at 125 lbs. It was the tightest bout of the night, with neither wrestler giving ground. But crucial strategic mistakes cost Roller the match, as he fell 2-1 on riding time.
"We lost a really close one at 125 where strategy was key — we got outsmarted, and that can't happen," Garland said.
Virginia forfeited at 133 lbs, extending Pitt's lead to 20-0. At 141 lbs and 149 lbs, fifth-year Kyren Butler and junior Wynton Denkins both lost by decision to junior Anthony Santaniello and No. 23 redshirt freshman Kade Brown, respectively. Denkins' bout went into a third overtime period before he eventually fell 6-1.
With three bouts remaining, graduate student No. 30 Colton Washleski faced No. 19 Dylan Evans at 157 lbs in the first ranked-versus-ranked matchup of the night. Washleski struggled to score, allowing Evans to dominate en route to a 13-2 major decision victory.
At 165 lbs, junior Michael Murphy put up more resistance against No. 32 senior Jared Keslar, forcing overtime before falling 4-1.
The final bout featured No. 32 senior Nick Hamilton against No. 15 redshirt senior Luca Augustine at 174 lbs. Like Washleski before him, Hamilton was overwhelmed, losing 12-1 by major decision to seal Pitt's 37-0 shutout victory.
Nothing clicked for the Cavaliers — whether strategy or execution, the performance demanded significant corrections.
“Our other guys showed no urgency,” Garland said. “The ACC tournament is right around the corner. Our staff will do everything we can from now until then to help our guys improve.”
The ACC tournament begins March 8 in Blacksburg, Va. With a 1-4 conference finish, Virginia wrestling will need to regroup quickly to make a positive showing and move past this defeat.
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